Spring Day
by winkwankwonk
Summary: Mei, a young freshman whose new to university, finds herself incredibly terrified of the enigma of Kira. For once in her life, she strives to avoid all trouble involving the God-like being. However, her star-crossed attempt proves futile when she is hastily immersed in a criminal suit she never could have imagined. (LxOC)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: _Hey-ho! I suck at keeping up with my writing, I know. I've gone through some personal stuff in my life the past 9 months, but I've finally got a break and I decided to use it to my advantage. The first thing on my list was watch all the animes I've been wanting to for such a long time, and at the top of my list along with a friend's recommendation came Death Note. I'm not necessarily a weeaboo but I've watched quite a few animes in my day and I am genuinely shocked that it took me so long to get into it! I actually watched the first episode, maybe, six years ago but now here I am! I fell in love with it entirely and it is definitely one of my all-time favorite shows now, if not my absolute favorite. I am honestly extremely passionate about this particular piece. I took a while coming up with, hopefully, a more unique story and not as Mary-Sue, like other Death Note fanfictions I've come across. I'm sorry this was so long, but I would really appreciate follows and favorites if you enjoy this! Reviews are extremely helpful, too! I love to hear feedback on my writing. If you have the time and anything you'd want to say, feel free to give me any advice or comments! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my work._**

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It hadn't been long since the Kira killings began to be brought to the public's attention. Once he was officially nicknamed by the Internet, it snowballed from there. He was everywhere, watching and waiting. It was almost futile to continue committing crimes; it was truly incomprehensible why criminals did so. Kira had everyone wrapped around his finger ever so diligently and barely anyone, especially those of whom not in their right mind, could ever understand to what extent. Whether Kira himself was other-worldly, one of extraordinary being, or a simple power hungry man was unknown. Despite the lack of knowledge of his true self, one thing was definitely certain; he was slowly becoming the God of a new world. It was ignorant to believe there wasn't a large decrease in crime since he hastily decided to wipe the earth of both minor and well-known convicts. He terrified the terrible, even into submission. Whether it was only the beginning of a reign of terror or chaos was unclear.

Most, however, had little or nothing to worry about. The secret to avoiding death by spontaneous heart attack was to simply stay in your place. Mind your business and get on with your entirely legal life. When L, the world's greatest detective was shown on live news, Kira had swiftly killed him, or at least who he had thought was L. By then it was quite obvious that he not only killed criminals, but anyone who stood in his way of ridding the world of filth. As long as you avoided illegal actions or taking part in exposing Kira's true identity, you were safe. The world was split, they either abided by his unspoken rules or you would face the consequences of not.

I, defeatedly, decided to stay on the sidelines for this particular case. I often had a great fascination for unsolved mysteries and investigations brought to the public's eye. I would spend most of my free time looking up public releases of evidence or statements behind the case itself. It was my dream to somehow solve one of them before the task force could. Although, it was only a dream; quite unrealistic, I was aware. My interest in crime investigation turned into more than a hobby; it became my passion. Out of all things offered at To-Oh University I decided I wanted to go into the force, whether that be a forensics analyst, policewoman, or criminal investigator, that's exactly what I wanted to do. I chose to pursue criminal justice as my major.

It was quite strange that I was stuck in the bustle of Tokyo, the center stage of Kira, majoring in criminal justice. I always had a great deal of unluck in my life but I never thought it would have been to that extent. Along with being self-sabotaging my whole life, I even surprised myself with avoiding the whole ordeal, _especially_ because it must've been the world's greatest mystery at the time. Although, it was definitely the best decision I could have made. It was my first full year in Japan, and I had just gotten into a great college. Even Light Yagami, one of Japan's top students had chosen to go there. If anything, it fueled the fire in me to work as hard as I could in college to get an impressive investigative job of some sort. Deneuve, Eraldo Coil and especially L were just a couple I aspired to be like. Even my uncle, Ukita, was a huge inspiration to me.

Out of all people in my life, I think my uncle was one I was entirely grateful for. My family back in the states never supported my decision to finish my schooling in Japan, and especially did not like the idea of me going into any sort of criminal justice force. Honestly, it was understandable. They didn't want their little girl to get hurt and I wasn't surprised that they'd rather have me pursue something like teaching or even business. Me and my uncle Ukita instead were the only two who shared the same passion of justice in our family, so he fully supported both my decision to study abroad in Japan and go into the field as well. He himself was a part of the police force, and he had let me stay with him for as long as I needed. He was truly like my second father. We didn't speak very often, especially when the Kira case was assigned to the Japanese task force. I wasn't dumb, I could take a hint that he must've had something to do with the investigation. To say the least, it scared me to death, but at the same time I was incredibly envious.

It had been raining that day. While To-Oh had only been a short bus ride from my home, it was still close to unbearable for me. I absolutely despised the rain when I had to be out and about in it. It reminded me of my name, the name in which was a month that is profoundly soggy and constantly greyed back in my home of northwest America. For some reason I thought I would never come across that weather in Japan; a stupid idea on my part. Dismissing my unpleasant thoughts of my own name and my home, I awkwardly opened my umbrella as I exited the bus, feet splashing in miniature puddles from the significant downpour. Students were encouraged to attend orientation for university, and most of those that had gotten into To-Oh did attend it. The campus was already cramped as people flooded into the auditorium. Following suit, I shyly entered the large room, already piled with hundreds of people.

As I waited for the ceremony to officially begin, I observed the area and the tremendous mass of other individuals I'd soon be attending classes with. Everyone looked polished, neat, even slightly stuck up. Out of all things, I genuinely hoped I didn't stick out too much. I crossed my legs and drew my shoulders together, making an attempt to look as small and unnoticeable as possible. While I doubted anyone was paying attention to me, I still wished I could just be invisible sometimes. It was quite apparent that back home, I wasn't like a lot of other kids. My interests and my lack of social skills separated me from most. I thought it would have been different when I moved, but if anything it grew much worse. Exceptionally intelligent people were the most observant and keen, so it wasn't difficult to realize I didn't exactly blend in. I would constantly be teased for being myself, making it not much of a mystery as to why I was insecure and shy. While my self-conscious thoughts clouded my head, the noise of the crowd began to die down as the orientation had kicked off.

To be honest, I didn't completely grasp the idea as to why the inordinate ceremony was held. It boiled down to upperclassmen rephrasing the same thing and the board introducing specific prodigy students. In all actuality it was incredibly dull and dreadful. I sensed the gathering was soon coming to a close as they worked their way to the underclassmen, then finally to the freshmen representatives. Those were the only people that sparked my interest, mostly because I desired to see the geniuses that could have aced that entrance exam. I hadn't done too bad, my score had been slightly above average. Although, I did study for that one exam for nearly ten hours of every day. As Light Yagami's name was called up to be the first freshman representative, it didn't come as a shock. However, the next name was called and something above it drove a spear into my gut. _Hideki Ryuga. Why is that so strange to me? That's a pop-star's name._ What came as even more of a punch in the face was the way the kid had looked; disheveled, almost. He had messy, dark hair with under-eye circles, so discernible that they could've been seen from across the auditorium. He wore a plain white shirt with jeans, contrasting with literally everyone who wore either navy or black suits, and dress suits alike. The way he stared at Light was unsettling, like he watched his every move. As he stood next to him at the podium, his back was incredibly hunched over. I could hear people chattering of him, especially that he resembled somewhat of a mad genius. As Light finished his short-lived speech, the strange Ryuga began. He held the paper from the top, only with his index finger and thumb, as if the paper itself was dirtied. His voice was crisp yet had an underlying shakiness. There was no way it could've been nervousness; no, more along the lines of awkwardness. He clearly put no effort into his appearance and showed no desire to be there. Something about him, or even everything about him made my stomach churn. As they both exited the stage, I could see Ryuga begin to speak to Light from behind. As if it were a cherry on top, Ryuga then sat with his feet on his chair, his knees against his chest. That is when I realized that I had seen him before, and even then he made me feel uneasy. I remembered when I took the entrance exam, he was scolded for sitting like so. I supposed old habits died hard.

The sight of him stayed with me for as long as I could remember. Although I didn't know why, I felt it was unbelievable that Hideki Ryuga was his true name. Maybe it was something of my conspicuous thoughts that began with my private followings of investigations, but it seemed like a great alias. I attempted to shake the thought from my mind; he could've just been different, socially awkward like myself. Absolutely nothing about that minor memory had faded since.


	2. Chapter 2

A week and a half passed by before I had realized that I shared a handful of my courses with Light Yagami. I hadn't seen the strange Hideki Ryuga since orientation, which I deemed quite strange. He wasn't a hard person to miss, and although I hadn't necessarily been looking for him, I thought I would've seen him by then. I'm also sure Light never noticed me, not even once. We'd never spoken or even made eye contact. I came to the conclusion he was going into the criminal justice field as well, since we both had forensics courses and others alike. It came as a bit of a shock to me, because while I did know that his father is also in that field due to him beings friends with my uncle, I didn't know why he preferred to major in criminal justice rather than something much more well paid, possibly along the lines of science. I brushed it off, knowing it really wasn't any of my business.

I noticed that whenever I was on the bus, or walking around the city I continued to see a man with ebony hair and piercing blue eyes. He always wore a suit of some kind adorned with a trench coat. I caught his eye at least three, maybe even four times. As much of a nervous person I was, I didn't think too much of it. It seemed coincidental. By his face alone, he looked simply innocent and sweet. He looked about ten years older than me, but he never came off as creepy. After a couple days, he stopped appearing. Once university was in full swing, I don't believe I ever saw him again. I often wondered where he disappeared to, or even why he was consistently around me.

It had been a Sunday night. I was at my desk finishing homework when I heard the front door open on the floor below me. I suspected it was my uncle so I immediately jumped up out of my chair to bolt downstairs. I hadn't seen him in three days, because whenever he came home I was on campus. I threw my arms around his neck, hugging the short man. He took a moment to hug back, but he seemed slower than usual. Maybe it was because he was tired, but it was almost like he was hesitant. When we both pulled away and I could finally get a decent look at his face, I saw an expression on his face I'd never seen before. His eyebrows were lower, his eyes had a mix of sadness and exhaustion with a slight downturn of the corners of his mouth. The look he gave me made me entirely anxious. "Are you okay? You look worried," I finally spoke. He gave me a small smile. "I'm fine; it's been a rough day on the case today," he replied, avoiding eye contact as he hung up his jacket. "Oh, are you hungry? I can make us dinner if you want. I got some groceries today—"

"No, Mei, I already ate. I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight, sweetheart." He didn't say anything else as he trotted past me, upstairs and into his room where he closed the door. Sometimes, I really wished I didn't overthink everything, and that was especially one of those moments. That brief interaction seemed strange. He was not like himself at all; he almost appeared… guilty. I didn't know the exact emotion he was conveying, because at the same time he looked disappointed in himself. In conclusion, I really didn't know. I just hoped it was easily slept off, but it continued to worry me until the next day.

The following morning, I had two of my classes that aided my major in criminal justice. At nine o'clock in the morning, I'd get to class before it'd start at 9:05 a.m. I always sat alone in that particular class, and it never really bothered me. I was simply used to it. However, when I got settled in my seat that day, Light Yagami looked directly at me as he entered the lecture hall. For a second, I didn't think anything of it. I thought he had just been analyzing the room, but instead of sitting away from me, he began to walk towards me. I finally looked at him directly when he pulled out the chair next to me so he could be seated. I gave him a friendly smile, since I assumed it could decrease the awkwardness, and I looked away. I already had my homework out in front of me, with my name neatly written at the top of the paper. As I leaned back in my chair, he looked over my shoulder to get a glimpse at my it. "Mei? I've never seen that name spelled in such a way," he said, accompanied with a seemingly flirtatious smile. "My name isn't actually spelled like that. It's actually M-a-y, but when I came here I started to spell it like Mei. I much prefer it that way," I responded, fidgeting with my hands. "Came here? To university?" he questioned. "Oh, no, not to university. When I came to Japan, I mean. I'm an international student," I continued to make small talk. "I haven't noticed many international students here. How interesting!" he continued with forced enthusiasm, cringeworthy almost. "It's nice to meet you, Mei. I'm Light," he finished with the same smile. "Trust me, I know. You're a student celebrity, Light," I responded in a joking manner. "You think? I wouldn't say so. What are you doing here in Japan, may I ask?" he pushed for a deeper conversation. "Well, I've always been fond of Japan; Tokyo in particular. On top of that, I always wanted to study abroad. I couldn't have done it without my uncle. Oh, yes, your father is in the same field as my uncle. Do you know him? His name is Ukita Hirokazu." I was surprised with the easy conversation we were having, especially since I was never much of a social butterfly. I was particularly introverted, so my social skills were a part of me that was lacking. Light somehow made me feel comfortable.

"Ukita Hirokazu…" he lightly rubbed his chin, pondering, "No, I don't think it rings a bell. I'll be sure to ask my father, though. Small world, isn't it? You're from another country and we still have mutual connections." I gave him a small smile once again. "It really is. You know, I'm really dumbfounded as to how you got a perfect score on that entrance exam. That other guy as well! His name… Oh! Ryuga! You two must be geniuses," I chuckled to fill the silence at the end of my sentence. "Studying was pretty much the only thing I ever did besides eat and sleep before that exam. I'm quite hardworking. I don't know much about Ryuga, though. I didn't know him before the orientation, actually. He's a bit of a different guy, but something about him is most definitely intriguing," he mused with a forced smile. "Yes! That's exactly what I thought. I haven't seen him around much, either, which is definitely indifferent. I thought I would have crossed paths with him already, but I suppose not. Something about him really caught my attention," I expressed with great relief. He nodded in agreement and before he went to further the conversation, our professor began to teach the class.

When we were dismissed, Light chose not to go his own way. I was a bit slower in him when I collected my belongings to leave, and when I looked up he wasn't next to me, but rather waiting for me at the door. I caught up with him and we picked up where we left off. "I've seen you in a few of my classes, you know. I just felt the need to talk to you. Maybe it's fate," he said casually, as if it wasn't an extremely odd thing to say when you've just met someone. That's when I began to feel slightly uncomfortable; I really hoped he wasn't interested in me. While he was sweet, he wasn't necessarily my type, either. Then again, he could have just been playing nice. I laughed awkwardly, "Maybe you're right."

"Oh, hello, Light," an unknown but familiar voice spoke from next to me. Looking up, my eyes met no other than Hideki Ryuga. _The_ Hideki Ryuga who had been in the back of my mind ever since the orientation ceremony. "And you must be..?" he questioned as he leaned towards me in curiosity. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Light angrily staring at Ryuga. While I didn't exactly know why, it seemed quite serious. I heard Light say under his breath, " _What are you doing here, Ryuzaki?_ " Quickly dismissing the strange inquiry to him, I acted like I hadn't heard it. "I'm Mei. You're Hideki Ryuga, yes? It's nice finally meeting you," I responded coyly. "Finally meeting me? What do you mean?" he pried as the three of us continued to walk in unison. "I mean, ever since the orientation. It's nice to know you two are friends," I said awkwardly. "Yes, Light and I are indeed close these days," he calmly replied, with no hint of continuing our short-lived conversation. The awkwardness skyrocketed when there was a long moment of silence. "I'm sorry. I'm not the socially, you could say," Ryuga quickly apologized. I quickly felt true sympathy for him. "It's alright! I'm the same way," I grinned as I welcomingly put a hand on his arm. "So, R-Ryuga," Light uncommonly stuttered, "what are you doing here, again?" I drew my hand back as Ryuga shoved his hands in his jean pockets. "What do you mean? I attend classes here, don't I?" Another furious whisper came from Light, " _I told you I'd do this myself._ "

"Should I leave you two alone? I was just going to run to a cafe for a quick drink before my next class—" Light briskly stopped my sentence. "No, how about we all go? I'd love to introduce you to Ryuga." He had an irritated expression on his face, to say the least.

I sat across from both Light and Ryuga. Taking a sip from my green tea, I waited for one of the two to spark a conversation. From over the table, I could see Light mentally scolding Ryuga for an unknown reason. Clearing his throat, Ryuga finally spoke up. "To be frank, Mei, Light had come up with an elaborate plan to befriend you. Now, I know this is going to be quite shocking, but we are both from the Japanese task force. More specifically, for the Kira investigation," he said as he dumped two sugar cubes into his tea and stirred. He said it so casually, yet it made my heart drop. _What the fuck does the Kira investigation have to do with me? I've stayed clear of even peeking at the public information on the case, and now people directly from the task force are trying to speak with me. What did I do?_ "What? I don't understand," I quietly said, looking at Light for confirmation. Light hid his eyes from embarrassment, I assumed. "We, more importantly, Light suspects you as being Kira," Ryuga continued. "Now, I've been conspicuous of the idea since he'd brought it up. From my deduction, you just seem like a quite normal person. Now, there is something I must tell you, Mei. I am L." My heart dropped even more. I was the last person who could possibly ever be Kira, and now Light is framing me. What could I ever have done to him. On top of that, the strange boy I've seen weeks ago is actually L? I didn't believe it. I couldn't have believed it. "I don't know how to respond to this. I've been minding my own business for weeks, and especially staying away from the Kira case. Now, I'm being blamed as a serial killer. Please, enlighten me on the evidence as to how I could possibly be Kira," I frantically said. "Well, a couple weeks ago, I had sent out twelve FBI investigators to watch both members of the task force, along with their close family. As you are extremely close to Ukita, you were one of those people. A man by the name of Raye Penber was investigating both you and Light. Soon after, Raye Penber died under suspicious circumstances along with the rest of the FBI investigators," he took a sip of his tea.

I pondered for a moment, slightly calming down. "To be fair, that makes sense. So you believe if I were Kira, I'd most definitely have cause to kill both Raye Penber and the remaining investigators. Wait, doesn't that mean Light is also a suspect?" I switched my focus from Ryuga, or L, to Light. "Indeed, you both are suspects. You both are entirely similar in this situation, it is just that I suspected Light more than you. However, now that Light has joined our task force, I must hear out his ideas, as well. Though, this made me hesitant from the beginning. Now that I've met with you, I feel that the likeliness of you being Kira is down to… One percent," he put his thumb to his lips, "But it is still a possibility, and I'm not sure I can ignore that. It's too convenient that you were also one of the people Raye Penber was investigating, along with the fact that it's very likely Kira is a student…" he trailed off in thought. I nodded. "Ryuga, or, L? I—"

"Please, refer to me as Ryuzaki. It is only for protection," he responded quickly. "Ryuzaki," I corrected myself, "I think it's odd that, while Light is a suspect, you let him onto the task force. Is there a reason behind that? I have an idea as to why." Ryuzaki rested his hands on his knees. "I believe that whether he is or isn't Kira he could still be helpful in our investigation. There are other reasons, as well, but I am sure you know of them as you've stated. You're a bright girl, Mei." I never took compliments well, so I immediately turned red at the sly comment on my intellectual skills. Moments after, Ryuzaki's cell phone began to ring. Fishing it out of his pocket, he held the phone up to his ear as he had held up the paper at the ceremony, only by his index finger and thumb. "Yes? Alright. I'll be there momentarily," he flipped the phone closed. "I'm afraid Light and I must get back to headquarters. I apologize for the brief end, but, Mei?"

"Yes?" I responded, my blush finally fading. "If you don't mind, could we meet tomorrow, here? Say… twelve o'clock. Oh, and," he turned to Light, "alone." Light immediately looked bewildered. Clearly Ryuzaki was not very predictable. "Sounds good to me. I look forward to it," I bowed my head as both Ryuzaki and Light stood from their chairs. "Likewise," Ryuzaki ended with a hint of a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** ** _I hope this is enjoyable so far! I feel as though this is slightly rushed in the time slot of events that are occurring, but please take it in stride. While my chapters are not tremendously long, they are a bit lengthy so I do attempt to squeeze a good amount of material into them. Speaking from personal experience, I hate pointless chapters in Fanfiction. Once again, reviews are always helpful! If you have any advice, I am entirely open to it! I love criticism because without it I'd never grow in my ability to write and create more content. I hope you understand! Once again, thank you for reading my work. There is nothing I love more than doing what I am truly passionate about and knowing that other people enjoy it in return._**

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I trotted towards the entrance of the cafe as I checked my watch. _12:01 P.M._ I was a minute late but I had a great doubt that Ryuzaki was already there. Pushing the door open, I scanned the large, noisy room and immediately caught his eye. I continued to walk over, getting settled across from the disheveled boy. "Good afternoon, I'm sorry if I kept you waiting," I spoke up as I set my bag down. "Don't worry about it, I'm terribly punctual and it's much of a habit. Don't let me worry you too much," he said, tapping his fingers on his knees.

"May I ask why you wanted to talk to me personally? I mean, maybe that is a dumb question. I am a suspect, after all," I silently scolded myself in stupidity. "No, actually, it isn't a dumb question. While you are technically a suspect, I strongly believe you are not Kira. I do not believe someone like you has the capability to be Kira. You seem… emotional. Now, please don't take offense to that. You are much like your uncle, and it makes you human. Sometimes I wish I possessed the same trait as you, especially if I weren't L," he answered quickly. I didn't know how to reply, and when it took me more than a couple seconds, he continued. "In every single case I've ever handled, I have never been wrong. More than I'd like to admit, I use my gut instinct, as well. To be quite honest, Mei, my gut instinct is telling me to ask you if you would like to join the task force."

My eyes widened in shock. "With all due respect, Ryuzaki, I am just Mei. Please, don't mistake that, though. I would absolutely love to be a part of the Kira investigation, more than anything, actually. It's been my dream to help with such an interesting case. But, I am not like Light by any means. I hope you haven't mistaken me for someone far above my intelligence level. I don't believe I could be much of a help, or aid you in any way that others could. I simply do not think I deserve a place in such a task force," I admitted with great sadness. Ryuzaki's emotion never changed. "Strange. I actually did not expect you to say that. No, I didn't know what to expect." He tilted his head in inquisition. "Mei, the people on this task force are not few and far between. They are entirely average in intelligence, if not, some are even below," he rolled his eyes, obviously thinking of someone in particular, "The only unique thing about them is that they had the drive to take down Kira. It's been brought to my knowledge by your uncle that you take personal interest in many famous cases around the world. You followed the Los Angeles BB Murder Cases, yes?" I nodded. "I believe I am not wrong in saying that your deducting skills must be impeccable, but then I am only getting this information from Ukita. He is very proud of you, and as one of the people I am working with, I take everything he says with respect. He talks about you endlessly and his love for you is unconditional. I simply cannot ignore such a compliment." Ryuzaki was right, I was entirely emotional. Mostly because, at that moment, it took everything inside of me to not cry. I had loved my uncle more than anything, and him saying that he was proud of me was more than I ever needed.

"You know, I actually avoided the Kira case as much as possible. I haven't looked at any publicly released information on him in my free time, while I would've died for it a couple months ago. Kira terrified me to death, actually, he still does. If I join, then I will have something to truly be afraid of, I suppose," I pondered for a moment. "However, I would risk my life to be on the task force, Ryuzaki. While I know I am not the brightest, I'd try to aid you in any way possible. I have to take this offer, simply because if I didn't, I know I would regret it for the rest of my life. I would gladly join you, Ryuzaki," I stated with determination. It didn't take much for someone like Ryuzaki to change my mind so drastically in such a short time. He, once more, had a hint of a smile on his face. "Great, I only need a form of identification to assign you to the task force," he completed. A nervousness built in my chest.

"Not to be rude, Ryuzaki, but… I don't know. Kira is extremely intelligent, I… How do I know that you are not Kira? He needs a name and a face; you could be leading me to my death right now," I worried. Ryuzaki nodded in approval. "You are entirely right, however, I know your full name. If I were Kira and had wanted to kill you, I think I would have."

"I suppose you're right, but I am still, to say the least, suspicious," I slumped my shoulders from slight embarrassment. "You have every right to be, after all. Do you think that if I took you to headquarters, with approval from your own uncle, then would you believe me?" he asked coyly. "Of course I would," I quickly responded. With a nod, Ryuzaki fished out his phone and had called someone to pick us both up. "Watari will be here shortly," he finished as he closed his phone and put it back in his pocket.

Momentarily, a limousine had pulled up around the curb near the cafe. At first, I didn't believe it was for us, until Ryuzaki began walking towards it. Following suit, I sat in the back of the car next to him. For the first time in awhile, I felt awkward around Ryuzaki. Maybe it was the silence after Watari and I introduced ourselves to each other, but I felt my cheeks becoming warmer as I wrung my hands next to him. I didn't want to break the silence, but I hated the silent. As I turned my head to instead look outside the driver's view window, I could see Ryuzaki gazing at me through his onyx eyes. I assumed he was deducting something, clearly deep in thought as he stared at me. I turned back to the window next to me to avoid noticing his eyes plastered on me. I couldn't help but feel hotter. His gaze was something entirely indifferent. Especially if he was L, knowing that someone like _him_ wanted me to be on _his_ case. It truly is one of the best compliments one could receive. But, his presence made me nervous. I really wished I didn't have that terrible social anxiety.

Soon enough, we pulled up outside of a hotel. Looking up at it, I wondered if that is where their headquarters was actually stationed. As if he'd read my mind, Ryuzaki interrupted my thoughts. "We stay here and I switch hotels every couple of days to avoid suspicion. We work the case in hotels most of the time," he explained as we exited the fanciful car and began to make our way to their room. One of my traits was analyzing everything around me, especially people. Normally when I wasn't talking, I was watching. I took into account every single stride Ryuzaki made. The way he carried himself, in such a slouched manner and the lazy clothes he chose to wear. I assumed it didn't draw much attention to the true genius he really was. It was a clever disguise, on his part. I wondered if that was the point of it, or maybe he just wanted to be comfortable. Whether or not that was the case, I strangely believed he was guiltlessly cute.

Dismissing the rather odd thoughts, the three of us had all reached the room together. Entering it, I first noticed Aizawa, who I've known from my uncle. He noticed me, too. As I put my hand up to wave, my uncle Ukita immediately threw a fit at the sight of me, aimed towards Ryuzaki. Within moments they were in a heated discussion.

"I told you, I didn't want her in this investigation. It's not safe for her. She has school, she has her whole life ahead of her. _How dare you rip this out from under her, Ryuzaki?_ You manipulated her and took advantage of her only passion!" Ukita clenched his fists. "I simply offered her the position. It was and still is, entirely her choice. I explained to you that she would be a tremendous help and I've explained it to her as well. To my knowledge, she is a fully capable woman and is able to make her own decisions. She knows her life is on the line, Ukita. Everyone here _also_ knows that I am willing to protect them at all costs, and she is no exception to that rule. While there are no promises, I believe she will be the most sheltered out of all of us. I entirely understand your declaration of her innocence and youth, but please take into consideration how Yagami handled his son's entrance to our task force. He eventually succumbed to it and I very much hope you will, too. If she is as capable and bright as you say, there will be no lack in her responsibility or preciseness to lead her to any impending death. I strongly believe she will be just fine," Ryuzaki fired out the words in such a fit that my brain could barely follow. I never knew that my desire to join would cause such drama. My head spun with an oncoming headache. My uncle knew he shouldn't respond, or better yet, he didn't know how to. The room went silent.

"Now, Mei, I hope this has proved that I am indeed L," he finally spoke, turning towards me. "Oh… Yes, of course," I confirmed, fishing out my student iD to lend to him. Taking a look at it, he furrowed his brow. "I thought your name was spelled M-e-i, not M-a-y," he wondered aloud. "I prefer Mei, I spelled it like that since I came to Japan," I yawned, already tired from what had occurred today. As he began to write my name down on a miniature notepad, he said, "If it means anything, I much favor the way it is really spelled. Every time I pronounce your name from now on, assume I am saying M-a-y," he said in complete seriousness. I assumed it was another quirk he had, along with sitting in the odd way that he does. I naturally submissed to his statement.

With a lack of the Yagami, I turned to Ryuzaki in confusion. "Where is Light?" I wondered aloud. "He is with his father, I believe. He's the chief of our investigation, and he recently suffered from a heart attack," Ryuzaki explained, sitting in his unusual way whilst he flipped through files. "A heart attack? Did he die?" I panicked. "No, he will be just fine. It happened about four days ago, and he claimed it was just from stress. He is resting in a hospital as we speak," he explained with such calmness that it gave me a sense of relief. I sat next to Ryuzaki because, besides my uncle, he was the only friendly familiarity I had in the same room. That, and I felt my uncle was agitated with my last minute decision to join. Ryuzaki dropped a heavy load of files and records on my lap. "You said you haven't followed any of it, so please, indulge yourself in all of these. Naturally, they are classified and I won't permit you to leave with any of these. Take as long as you would like."

After awkwardly introducing myself to the task force members, I felt entirely out of place. I was young and inexperienced; I still had no real hint as to why Ryuzaki really wanted me on the team. With a heaviness growing from my eyelids, I turned back to the files and sorted through them, reading and soaking up as much information as I could. While the murders were atrocious, they were also endlessly fascinating. Pausing, more than halfway through the records, a strange thought had crossed my mind. "Ryuzaki?" I called for his attention. "What is it?" he asked. "It says that Kira himself can control one's actions before their death. Do you think that means that he can also control _other_ ways in which someone dies, besides a heart attack? I mean, he could control them to walk in front of a bus, along the lines of that. What if heart attacks are not the only way he's killing them off, but many accidental deaths and suicides are going unnoticed simply because it isn't entirely apparent to the police that he could very well be murdering people in more than one way?" the words fell out of my mouth. Maybe I sounded stupid, but what I said scared me more than anything. The thing that scared me more, though, was that everyone stared at me dumbfoundingly. Ryuzaki's mouth hung slightly open, as if I had beat him to the punch.

As if it were perfect timing, Watari burst through the suite door. "Ryuzaki, something seems to be happening on Sakura T.V."


End file.
